Qualcomm Incorporated

Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd.

Robin Heydon

Mayank Batra

Joel Linsky

Brian A Redding

Nicolas Guy Albert Graube

Nicholas G Jones

Laurence George Richardson

Steven Singer

Dishant Srivastava

Hugo Mark Tyson

Murray Robert Jarvis

Benjamin Campbell

Magnus Sigverth Sommansson

Christopher Church

David Huntingford

Maarten Menzo Wentink

Marco Papaleo

Paul Dominic Hiscock

Anssi Haverinen

Huibert Denboer

Nicolas Graube

Srdjan Miocinovic

Hooman Borghei

Dragan Boscovic

Thomas Cargill

Srivathsa Sridhara

Ravi Shekhar

Thomas Allan

Mauro Scagnol

Jonathan Grenville Tanner

Reuven Meyer Samuel

Richard Cardoe

Clive Thomson

Paul Nicholas Williamson

Hamid Ahmadi

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for clear channel assessment (CCA) enabled narrowband (NB) communications. In some implementations, a device is configured to associate with an NB channel (such as a Bluetooth channel), perform a CCA to assess whether the NB channel is clear, and transmit on the NB channel when clear. If the NB channel is not clear, the device may prevent transmitting on the NB channel. The device may prevent avoiding the NB channel after the first time that the NB channel is not clear. If the NB channel remains not clear (such as over a number of CCAs for the NB channel), the device may avoid the NB channel by removing the NB channel for FH for an amount of time. In some implementations, the device may be configured to perform frame based equipment (FBE) CCAs for one or more NB channels.

Clear channel assessment (CCA) enabled narrowband (NB) communications

This disclosure describes a first slave device that transmits information to a second slave device indicating that a first data packet was improperly received from a master device, so that a corresponding data packet may be relayed from the second slave device to the first slave device. In an aspect, the second slave device may receive a first data packet followed by an indication that the first slave device improperly received the first data packet, where the second slave device is configured to relay the first data packet to the first slave device in response thereto. In another aspect, the second slave device may receive a request to listen for a separate data stream of the first slave device based on a first data packet being improperly received by the first slave device and transmit a second data packet of the separate data stream to the first slave device.

Broadcast relay piconet for low energy audio

According to various aspects and techniques to enable methods and systems for a first communication device to determine an approximate number of other communication devices that have lost contact with a host communication device. This includes determining a common future time window using a last known global time stamp and determining a transmit time within the common future time window. This also includes receiving samples that are captured during the common future time window on a predefined communication channel, as well as analyzing the received samples to estimate the total number of other communication devices.

Electronic shelf label (ESL) efficient reconnect

The present disclosure provides a mechanism to perform a CSB burst mode between a master device and one or more slave devices. In CSB burst mode, the master device may broadcast more than one packet of data in a CSB interval, and hence, may use the time slots in a CSB interval more efficiently than while operating in traditional CSB mode. CSB burst mode of the present disclosure may be used to improve the latency and duty cycle of data transmissions, such as for example, broadcast audio. In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may determine to broadcast a set of packets during a CSB interval, where the set of packets includes a plurality of packets. In some aspects, the apparatus may broadcast the set of packets during the CSB interval to a set of second nodes.

Bluetooth connectionless slave broadcast burst mode

In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. In certain configurations, the apparatus may connect to a mesh network that includes at least the first device and a second device. The apparatus may communicate with the second device without obtaining one or more access credentials from the second device.

Social mesh networks

Two devices (e.g., two wireless Bluetooth earbuds) may exchange device address information (e.g., Bluetooth address information) and may identify a primary address. When either of the devices connect to a source device (e.g., a phone), the primary address may be used by the connecting device such that the pair of devices appear as a single device (e.g., a Bluetooth-pairable device) to the source device, regardless of the device connecting to the source device as the primary device. The primary device may then send identity information (e.g., that has been exchanged with the secondary device) to the source device, such that the source device may connect to either of the two devices. Further, once a primary device connects to the source device, the primary device may transmit, to the secondary device, connection information such that the secondary device may connect to the source device and operate in the primary role.

Address management for Bluetooth devices

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications at a wireless audio device are described. A first (e.g., primary) wireless audio device may initiate a role switch procedure with a second (e.g., secondary) wireless audio device. The first wireless audio device may disable traffic flow between the source device and the first wireless audio device and transmit synchronization information and timing information necessary for taking over the role of primary wireless audio device to the second wireless audio device. The first wireless audio device may transmit a device role switch message, and the first wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device may perform the role switch. After performing the role switch, the first wireless audio device may assume the role of a secondary wireless audio device and the second wireless audio device may assume the role of a primary wireless audio device.

Seamless link transfers between primary and secondary devices

This disclosure provides methods, devices and systems for signaling modulation schemes and stream parameters such that the modulation schemes and stream parameters can be adapted dynamically while maintaining an existing wireless connection. Some implementations include signaling, via a first channel, a set of stream parameters that govern communications on a second channel when a particular modulation scheme is used to modulate the packets transmitted via the second channel. A transmitting device may select a respective set of stream parameters for each of multiple modulation schemes. For example, in addition to an initial modulation scheme and set of stream parameters, the transmitting device can select alternative modulation schemes and sets of stream parameters that are optimized for the respective modulation schemes. The transmitting device signals the modulation schemes and the respective sets of stream parameters via the first channel in advance of switching modulation schemes for the second channel. The transmitting device is enabled to change the modulation scheme and the set of stream parameters on the fly by including an indication of the modulation scheme in the next packet it transmits via the second channel.

Dynamic configuration of stream parameters based on modulation scheme

A first device may establish, with a second device, a first logical link associated with short-range communications. The first device may detect the transmission of a first packet from a master device to the second device carried on a second logical link. The first device may decode at least part of the first packet comprising data intended for the first device. The first device may transmit, to the second device, a request for a re-transmission of the first packet when the first device fails to decode at least part of the first packet. The first device may receive, from the second device, at least one re-transmission of the first packet. The first device may apply an error correction operation on the at least one re-transmission of the first packet received from the second device and the first packet received from the master device.

Soft combining packets received from different piconets

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. One method may include determining that a quality condition of a primary Bluetooth-enabled device is lower than a quality condition of a secondary Bluetooth-enabled device. The primary Bluetooth-enabled device may transmit, to the secondary Bluetooth-enabled device, a handover request message based on the determining. The handover request message may include a subset of connection information associated with a connection between the primary Bluetooth-enabled device and a device in wireless communications with the primary Bluetooth-enabled device. The primary Bluetooth-enabled device may receive, from the secondary Bluetooth-enabled device, a handover response message based on the handover request message. As a result, the primary Bluetooth-enabled device may handover, to the secondary Bluetooth-enabled device, at least one logical transport channel of the set of logical transport channels based on the handover response message.

Handover of extended synchronous connection-oriented logical transport channel

Generally, the described techniques provide for transmission schedule coordination, and in some cases transmission schedule modification, for time division multiple access (TDMA) links amongst devices engaged in communications. A network neighborhood alignment (NNA) protocol may allow devices to inform peer devices of current (e.g., established) connections within the network neighborhood (e.g., of TDMA links established between the device and peer devices, or of TDMA links established between other per devices that are known to the device). Devices may also communicate desired connection preferences, requests for peer device current connection information (e.g., the types of data being transferred by a peer device, the connection type of links associated with the peer device), etc. In some examples, the NNA protocol may establish the information exchange via a dedicated network neighborhood channel (NNC) or via point-to-point messages exchanged between devices (e.g., where the information may then be relayed amongst peer devices).

Network neighborhood alignment

A method for muting a Bluetooth device is described. The method includes receiving, by a Bluetooth controller of the Bluetooth device, a mute remote microphone message from a peer Bluetooth device. The method also includes disabling audio transmission functionality of the Bluetooth device. The Bluetooth device may also receive a disable remote mute message from the peer Bluetooth device and enable the audio transmission functionality of the Bluetooth device.

Systems and methods for muting a wireless communication device

As many applications, such as wireless headsets used with cellular phones, require mostly error free data to accurately reproduce a telephone conversation, uncorrected erroneous data packets may impact a perceived quality of a given application. The error correction techniques of the present disclosure promote error-correction in communication systems that lack FEC with respect to one or more portions of a data packet. The techniques therefore provide error correction for the entire packet, including those portions not protected by any imbedded error correction mechanism. As a result, data communications over noisy communication mediums may be improved as the techniques may reduce bit error rates, and increase the sensitivity of the receiving device such that the transmission power of a data packet may be reduced. For voice packets or other streaming data packets, the techniques promote improved audio quality over systems that do not employ the techniques described in the present disclosure.

Error correction for data packets transmitted using an asynchronous connection-less communication link

In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may transmit a LMP version request PDU to a second device. The apparatus may receive a LMP version response PDU including at least one of a link layer identification, a version number, or a sub-version number associated with the second device. The apparatus may determine if one or more of the link layer identification, the version number, or the sub-version number included in the LMP version response PDU are associated with a recognized QLM. The apparatus may a first LMP encapsulated header PDU that includes a first QLMP feature request opcode to the second device when it is determined that one or more of the link layer identification, the version number, or the sub-version number included in the LMP version response PDU are associated with the recognized QLM.

Performing proprietary link manager feature discovery and exchange with a peer proprietary device

A method for communication by a scanner is described. The method includes receiving a broadcast message from a broadcasting device in a connectionless mode. The method also includes performing back channel communication with the broadcasting device on a contention basis while maintaining the connectionless mode. The scanner may send a packet to the broadcasting device while maintaining a connectionless relationship with the broadcasting device.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Robin Heydon